


warmth

by treedeity



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Cuddling, Fluff, Footsie, Kissing, Kotatsu, M/M, Post-Time Skip, Skinship, aged up character(s), smut if you squint
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-10
Updated: 2020-07-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 23:21:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25174540
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/treedeity/pseuds/treedeity
Summary: When Hinata returns to Japan in the middle of winter after spending two years in scorching hot Brazil, he just can't seem to get warm.But the way Kenma's looking at him from across the kotatsu is a start.
Relationships: Hinata Shouyou/Kozume Kenma
Comments: 12
Kudos: 264





	warmth

**Author's Note:**

> this is my FIRST FIC ever!!! :D i'm actually very proud of the finished product and i'm DYING for your feedback so PLEASE comment below! 
> 
> HUGE thanks to spontaneoushazel for beta reading ♡ ♡ ♡ 
> 
> follow me on twitter @captainguchi if you wanna be mutuals ^_^

If Hinata focused really hard and closed his eyes, he could still imagine the warmth of the beach. He could feel the afternoon sun kissing his skin, enveloping him in its heat. The air was alive with electricity as he played, beads of sweat dripping down his temple and collecting on the frames of his sunglasses before falling to the ground. He felt the anticipation in his bouncing feet as he waited for the play to start, the soft, smooth sand squishing between his toes; he could almost feel it all. 

But imagining was never enough.

He knew it would be January when he arrived in Japan. It was strange to him how the northern and southern hemispheres had completely different seasons, how it could be a scorching hot summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and a freezing cold winter in Sendai, Japan. He thought he had prepared himself for the drastic drop in temperature, but he supposed that a light hoodie and jeans weren't enough for near zero degree weather. 

Winter had reared its ugly head before Hinata had even stepped off the plane. He hugged himself tightly as he walked down the drafty jetway. Compared to the warm tunnel he’d traversed at the airport in Rio, this felt like an ice box. Did they not even consider heating these things? He was already shivering and he hadn't even left the terminal.

The blast of cold air as he stepped outside of the terminal felt like a slap in the face. Icy needles of air pricked his nose and cheeks. He shuddered in disgust when he stepped into a half-melted pile of snow, completely soaking through his shoes and socks. He missed the beach so much more than he thought he ever would. 

But he missed his family more.

It was a godsend when he got into his mother’s car and felt his skin being warmed by the heat coming from the vents. It didn't take long for him to go out like a light in the backseat, draped over his backpack, drool spilling from his parted lips. In the nearly forty hour-long flight from Rio de Janeiro to Sendai, he'd barely slept. He was very excited to get back home and way too nervous to see how everything— and everyone —had changed. 

He spent the entire night, and most of the afternoon, sleeping once they got home. It was only when his sister barged into his room the following evening and shook him awake that he finally opened his eyes. 

“Dinner’s ready! Or are you gonna sleep through that too?” She teased, shoving him until he rolled over. “Mama made pork buns just for you, and if you don't eat them she's gonna _cry._ ” 

Dinner was delicious, as he expected. Although he grew to enjoy Brazilian food, he really missed the food his mother made. They spent the meal catching up on the time they spent apart and looking at the souvenirs and photos Hinata brought home. 

Natsu was really pleased with her gift: a pink and white seashell that Hinata tripped and cut his foot on during a practice match. He had to get stitches and the shell had given him a scar, but Natsu loved having something so personal from her big brother. Her smile was as bright as a summer's morning, and she meant the world to Hinata. 

* * *

The next night he met up with his friends from high school for drinks at the same bar they'd gathered at before Hinata left for Brazil. His friends were excited to see him, or at least Yamaguchi and Yachi were. Kageyama and Tsukishima seemed indifferent at first, but Hinata could tell they were happy to see him, especially after they'd started drinking.

The more enthusiastic two of the four were shocked at Hinata's growth. Yamaguchi commented on how Hinata had gotten even more tan than him, and Yachi was surprised by how much taller and stronger he'd grown. Kageyama just sucked on his teeth and told him his receives still probably sucked, and Tsukishima told him he was still a dwarf. 

Hinata wasn't the only one who'd changed in the past two years. However much training he had been doing in Brazil, Kageyama had done just as much in Japan. He was _jacked_ and almost as tall as Tsukishima. As for Yachi, she was still timid but her hair was long and free, which spoke volumes about her emotional growth. Tsukishima acted less like a pole was firmly lodged up his ass and his hair was slightly longer, messier. Yamaguchi was way more sure of himself, not to mention his freckles seemed to have multiplied. 

It turned out that most of them hadn't seen each other at all in the past two years. With each one of them busy with school and work and training, they had little time for catching up with old friends, save for Tsukishima and Yamaguchi. The latter had let it slip that they were living together, which came as a surprise to Hinata and Yachi. Kageyama chuckled almost evilly and muttered something like “called it.”

Later on, Hinata apologized for not getting any of them gifts. Money was tight for him, even with his sponsorship. They all had mixed reactions, most of which were understanding. 

“Tch, whatever,” Kageyama said in his usual, sullen deadpan. “You're buying the next round of drinks, then.”

“That's alright, Hinata!” Yachi assured, smiling thinly. “I’m just happy that you're home safe and sound.”

“Don't worry about it, Shouyou,” Yamaguchi said pretty matter-of-factly. “It's not like you went on vacation; you were training.”

“Two years without you was the best gift you could've given me,” was all Tsukishima had to say, earning an angry “Tsukki!” from Yamaguchi in response. 

So maybe none of them really changed that much, after all.

* * *

Hinata crashed on Yachi’s futon that night since her apartment was in walking distance from the bar. She was way too nice to him the next morning, letting him sleep in and even making him breakfast. Considering he was not only hungover but also jetlagged, he was uncharacteristically grumpy. 

He sat on her couch and cradled his head like it weighed a thousand pounds. Hangovers sucked and despite all the times he went out for drinks in Brazil, he'd never gotten better at dealing with the headaches and nausea. When he groggily reached for his phone to check the time, he noticed a message from Kenma. _Shit,_ he thought, having completely forgotten to message Kenma when he got home.

_from: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> shouyou, are you back home yet? text me soon.  
[9:37 AM] _

Moving quicker than he'd moved all morning, Hinata sat straight up and furiously typed a response.

 _to: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> a h h h h!!! sorry, i’ve been catching up w family and friends in miyagi! : <  
[12:02 PM]_

No more than thirty seconds later, Hinata's phone buzzed. 

_from: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> that's okay. i hope you're having fun :-)  
[12:02 PM]_

_to: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> yeah!! i caught up with my mom and sister, then went out with my friends last night  
[12:03 PM]_

_to: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> i’m soooo tired (。-ω-)zzz  
[12:03 PM]_

_from: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> you're hungover. have some coffee.  
[12:04 PM]_

_to: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> I AM NOT HNGOVIER KNEMA  
[12:04 PM]_

_from: kenma (^・ω・^ )  
> okay, shouyou.  
[12:05 PM]_

_from: kenma (^・ω・^ )_  
> see you soon (っ･ω･)っ  
[12:05 PM]

* * *

The contents of Kenma's last message rattled around in Hinata's hangover-addled brain for the next couple of hours before he finally decided to ask Yachi about it. Did Kenma expect Hinata to go visit him in Tokyo? Was _he_ coming to Miyagi? What did he want? Was he going to ask Hinata to repay the money he lent him? Was he going to drop him because Kenma got bored of him? 

After Hinata finally ran out of gas and his blubbering ceased, Yachi finally talked some sense into him. 

“Hinata…he just wants to see you,” the blonde reasoned while flipping through her mail from earlier in the morning. 

“But what if-”

Yachi cut Hinata off. “He just wants to see you. And while he might not say it or even expect it, you should probably give him some sort of gift. As a thank-you.”

“I got him a hoodie in Rio,” he chirped, remembering the hooded sweatshirt he thought Kenma might like. 

“That's pretty good! Kozume-san likes hoodies,” Yachi agreed. 

“But I can do better!”

“How so?”

Hinata stood up and pointed over to the kitchen at the opposite corner of Yachi’s studio apartment. 

“I’ll make him his favorite food of all time: apple pie!”

Yachi tilted her head to the side, running a few fingers through her ponytail. “Do you even know how to make apple pie?”

Hinata’s eyes opened wide, lips parting at the shot at his intelligence, but he quickly fired back, “Of course I do!”

Yachi just laughed a bit through her nose as she got up to walk across her studio apartment to the kitchen. “Okay.”

* * *

Hinata did not, in fact, know how to make apple pie. 

After cutting the most atrocious looking apple slices Yachi had ever seen and making a pie dough that was as hard as a rock, she all but kicked Hinata out of the kitchen. “You can help clean up!” She insisted, trying her best to keep up her kind facade.

So, Hinata spent most of the time texting Kenma, smiling and giggling a bit to himself at their conversation. Kenma didn't really show it much in person, but he could be pretty funny over text. That was probably one of the few things keeping him sane while he juggled volleyball matches, training and a part-time job in a foreign country. 

He and Kenma messaged as often as possible while he was in Brazil, although the colossal time difference between them made constant communication difficult. While Hinata was just getting started with the day, Kenma was fast asleep. He had grown accustomed to those few moments in between, those rare windows of opportunity where they could actually hold a conversation, however brief.

There was a light, fluttery feeling in Hinata’s chest knowing they were in the same timezone again, that at any moment Kenma could respond to his texts. Texting back and forth with Kenma made him feel like he was fifteen again, at summer training camp in Tokyo. Those training camps were some of the best days of his life, and not just because of the volleyball matches. 

“Hinata... can you take the pie out of the oven, please?” 

Yachi's small voice shook Hinata from his thoughts and he looked over to the blonde with a cocked brow. 

“It’s already done?” He asked. 

“Yeah, while you were texting your _boyfriend_ , I was doing all the work.” She stuck her tongue out at him, eliciting an offended gasp from the ginger male. 

“Hey, you kicked me out of the kitchen! And Kenma’s _not_ my boyfriend!” 

Yachi giggled, covering her wide toothy grin with her dainty hand. “I didn't say Kenma. You could have been texting Kageyama for all I know.”

Hinata turned bright red, clenching his fists in a volatile mix of anger and severe embarrassment. 

“Wh-whatever!” He pouted, crossing his arms. 

“Hinata. The pie.”

“No.”

“I don't wanna burn myself. I’m scared!” Yachi’s puppy dog eyes were impossible to defy, and Hinata soon found her kitten-shaped oven mitts around his hands.

* * *

The very next day, Hinata was on the train to Tokyo. They arranged to meet in the evening at Kenma's new house on the outskirts of the city. Because he'd never been there —Kenma had moved in the past two years—Kenma sent Hinata a list of directions to get there on a Google Maps link. That list didn't do Hinata any good though, since he got lost almost immediately after leaving the metro station. 

He wandered up and down various streets trying to get his bearings for almost two hours, before he finally figured out Kenma’s instructions. That’s what he got for not going over the route before leaving his house; and on top of being lost, it was _cold_ outside. _Very_ cold, now that the sun had set. Hinata was huffing and shivering by the time he wandered up to what he hoped was Kenma’s house, and rang the doorbell.

“If this i-isn’t the r-r-right pl-place...” he chattered to himself in spite of his shaking teeth as he stood in front of the door, gently holding the bag that held his gifts for Kenma. It felt like an eternity before the door swung open and warm light blinded him.

In the doorway stood a slender figure of equal height to Hinata, clad in a red hoodie and short black shorts. Their pale skin was offset by their shoulder length black hair… with blond at the tips. Kenma.

“Shouyou?” He questioned, blinking almost in disbelief. Before Hinata could even begin to speculate what Kenma wasn't believing, the older male grabbed his wrist and gently pulled him inside. 

“H-Hi, K-K-Kenma…” Hinata managed to say as his teeth clattered and his body shaked. He forced a smile, trying to downplay how cold he was. 

“It's freezing out,” Kenma reprimanded calmly, shutting the door behind them. “Did you get lost? I would have come and gotten you.” 

Hinata took several deep breaths, basking in the heated living room they stood in while his body warmed up. “Yeah… I got lost,” he muttered. “I’m really, really sorry. I misread the directions and…”

“Don't worry about it,” Kenma assured him. “Let me take your coat.”

“Okay,” Hinata huffed as he shrugged off his coat and kicked off his snowy shoes. He used that moment to look around the room. 

Compared to Kenma’s last apartment, this house was very classy. It definitely looked like a young adult’s home with various manga and video game posters, as well as collectibles on the walls, but it also had a sophisticated atmosphere that he was not used to. The decor was minimal yet very tasteful, and from what he could see, the entire place was spotless. Hinata never kept his room clean, but then again he hadn't been a homeowner before. One tends to take care of things they worked hard to pay for. 

“What's this?” Kenma asked with a Mona Lisa smile, nudging the bag dangling loosely in Hinata’s hands with his knee. “A present?”

“Yes, actually.” Hinata nodded and beamed brightly with that trademark face of his, where his eyes were closed and his smile was wide and toothy.

Kenma laughed softly through his nose. His eyes flitted up and down Hinata’s body for a moment before he met the ginger’s gaze. 

“You got taller,” he noted, pursing his lips together. That look sent a wave of warmth through Hinata's chest that he desperately tried to ignore. “Come on, let's go sit at the kotatsu. You need to warm up, and we can open my present there.”

Hinata didn't have the time or energy to oppose Kenma as he grabbed his hand and led him to the kotatsu in his living room. Not that he would have anyways. A warm, heated blanket was exactly what he needed right now. 

Kenma sat down on a cushion beside the kotatsu and lifted the black blanket to place his legs under the table. Hinata followed suit, sitting across from him and setting the gift bag on the table. He shuddered in relief at the comforting heat of the kotatsu. 

“Wow… I wish I had one of these,” Hinata sighed, leaning his head back. 

“Let me know if it gets too warm,” Kenma said, reaching over to a teapot which rested on a hotplate. “Tea?”

“Oh, no, this is the perfect temperature. And, yes please.” 

Kenma poured him a cup of the steaming hot beverage and set it down in front of Hinata before pouring one for himself. 

“So…” Kenma said after a beat, taking a sip of his tea. 

“So…” Hinata parroted, awkwardly as he clasped the tea cup between his fingers. He felt his palms start to get sweaty, and he knew it was not from the kotatsu or the tea. He felt almost… nervous? It was strange to see Kenma after so long, and he looked pretty different. 

Kenma had gotten his ears pierced, which was… quite a look if Hinata said so himself. There were two silver hoops in his cartilage, a stud in his lobe on the right, and two studs on his left earlobe. It was a ‘darker’ or ‘edgier’ look than he had in high school, but Hinata thought it suited him. Even if Kenma wasn't particularly ‘edgy.’

The most notable difference however was Kenma’s hair, which he seemingly hadn't cut in two years. It was long and dark black, his natural color, with bleach blonde from high school at the tips. Half of his hair was tied up in a neat bun at the back of his head while the rest flowed loosely down to his shoulders. 

Kenma must have noticed he was staring or that he'd zoned out, because he'd leaned forward slightly in his seat. “Shouyou?”

“Right! Your present!” Hinata said abruptly, pushing the bag across the table towards Kenma. “Open it.” He smiled widely, eagerly. 

Kenma opened the bag and dug inside for a moment before pulling out a soft black hoodie. Emblazoned on the front was a small Brazilian flag and the words “RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL” below it. He examined it for a few seconds, humming slightly to himself. 

_Oh god, he hates it,_ Hinata thought to himself, fiddling anxiously with the cloth of the kotatsu blanket while he watched Kenma evaluate his gift. It was simple and generic, but he knew Kenma liked hoodies. 

“Um… what do you think?” He finally asked when he couldn't take the silence any longer. “I think it might be a bit too big, but I wasn't sure what size to get, so, um, yeah.”

Kenma looked back across the table to Hinata and didn't say a word as he took off his current hoodie, tossed it to the side and slid the new one on. After adjusting the fit and fixing his hair he smiled, seemingly pleased with the gift. 

“It's perfect, Shouyou.”

Hinata’s breath caught in his throat. He always felt so taken aback by Kenma using his first name, but it felt so right on his lips. He smiled back, bouncing slightly in his seat. 

“Really, you think so? Thank you!”

“Thank _you_ ,” Kenma corrected. 

“There's another present in the bag! Keep going!” Hinata insisted, pointing to the bag. 

“Oh? Two presents? That seems like a bit m-” Kenma stopped talking, instead focusing all of his attention on the square shaped box in the bag. He carefully pulled it out and looked at it for several seconds of silence before the biggest grin Hinata had ever seen Kenma make was painted across his ever-stoic face. 

“Shouyou… is this… apple pie?” He asked in disbelief. 

“Yep!” 

“You didn't… Did you… make this?” 

Hinata laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Actually, Yachi did. You remember Yachi, right? Anyways, I wanted to make you a pie but I’m a disaster in the kitchen, so she helped me… and by helped I mean she did all the work and I just took it out of the oven.”

“Thank you so much,” Kenma said wholeheartedly, still beaming with joy that he now directed at Hinata. He felt like he was going to float away if he didn't hold onto the table for support. 

“Of course, Kenma. I owe you so much.” 

“How about we cut into this pie and you catch me up on everything you did in Brazil?” Kenma suggested, already starting to get out from under the kotatsu. 

“Sure, Kenma.”

Kenma’s first name felt so right on Hinata’s lips, too.

* * *

They spent the next hour or so swapping stories about their lives over the past two years while eating the apple pie. It turned out that Yachi was a very talented baker, and Hinata made a mental note to repay Yachi for this. He _seriously_ owed her. 

Hinata told Kenma every nitty gritty detail about his life in Brazil, about the hardcore training and all the volleyball he played. Volleyball was clearly his favorite thing to talk about, and although Kenma didn't play anymore, Hinata could tell the older boy was following every detail of his favorite matches. He could remember every powerful spike, every satisfying serve, and every daring receive in such vivid detail.

On the other hand, Kenma talked about how his YouTube and Twitch channels had exploded in popularity over the past year. It had been difficult to keep up with his upload and streaming schedule, but it was totally worth it. He had so many supportive fans and he felt fortunate that he could turn his passion into a career. Hinata understood that feeling well, and he couldn't wait to start playing volleyball professionally.

“I owe all this to you, Kenma. You know that? Right?” Hinata said after a lull in the conversation. He rested his elbow on the table, propping his head up with his hand. 

“I know. You did set me back a few hundred thousand yen,” Kenma half-joked.

“I’m serious, Kenma,” Hinata began, sitting straight up. “I’m twice the player I was before I left Japan, and I’ve learned so much from the players in Brazil. I’m only 21 and I'm gonna be playing professionally soon. That doesn't happen very often… I wouldn't be here without you. I owe you so much more than a hoodie and some pie.”

Kenma pursed his lips together in a tight smile, the apples of his cheeks blooming with an embarrassed flush. “Shouyou… I told you that I had the money to spare.”

“But you didn't have to spare it.” Hinata smiled, hoping to make Kenma feel less embarrassed. “I'm not just trying to flatter you. I really, really mean it.”

“I know you mean it,” Kenma replied, seeming to settle down a bit. “And I’m still holding you to my warning: if you get boring, I’ll drop you.”

Hinata remembered hearing those words for the first time when he'd asked Kenma to sponsor him. He was terrified of being dropped and that lit a fire under him to succeed, to push himself so that Kenma wouldn't get bored. 

But at that point, he didn't believe Kenma would ever drop him. He knew in his heart that Kenma was rooting for him no matter what, and he didn't need him to say it. 

“I promise not to get boring.” 

“Good.” 

Hinata laughed a bit and found himself locking eyes with Kenma. His golden irises were nebulous, as though he would get lost in them forever if he looked too long. He missed Kenma so much, and it was moments like this that made him realize how important Kenma was to him. 

It was in that silence that Hinata noticed a weight on his foot. He wiggled his toes to feel what it was and gasped a bit in realization: Kenma’s foot was on top of his.

He quickly pulled away—almost too quickly —and bashfully looked down to the table. Although he hoped his tan would hide his blush, he wasn't sure that would happen. “Sorry!” He apologized. 

Kenma didn't acknowledge his apology, instead shifting his position slightly on the cushion and continuing the conversation as though nothing had happened. 

“So, do you still keep up with your teammates from Karasuno?” Kenma asked. They had long since finished their slices of pie, but he was absentmindedly twirling his fork between his fingers. 

“Uhh… yeah,” Hinata answered before clearing his throat, as if that would make him feel less embarrassed about accidentally touching Kenma’s foot. It didn't really work. “We met up a couple nights ago for drinks.”

“That's right, you mentioned that earlier.” Kenma shifted in his seat again, sliding further under the kotatsu. 

“Yeah. It was nice to see them all again. It was just the four other people from my grade, if you remember them.”

“The manager, the middle blocker, the pinch server and the setter… Kageyama, right?” 

Hinata flinched when he felt the weight on his foot again. Did Kenma usually put his entire lower body under the table? He tried to pull away again but Kenma’s foot pressed down, pinning Hinata in place. 

“Y-yeah! Kageyama…” He responded airily, more focused on what the hell was happening with Kenma under the kotatsu. 

“Isn't he going to be playing on a different team than you in V-League?” 

Hinata nodded, sighing deeply as he tried to relax his foot and just let Kenma be there. The tension in his muscles fell away and he lightly brushed against Kenma. 

“Good,” Kenma replied quickly from behind his tea cup before taking a sip. Hinata swore he saw a smirk. Why did he smirk at that?

“Wh-what do you mean?”

He could feel Kenma move the arch of his foot to curve gently over the top of Hinata's. It felt so odd, yet enjoyable. But it felt like torture not knowing if Kenma was doing this unintentionally or in a friendly way. Did people normally play footsie with their friends? Was Hinata just out of the loop?

“I just meant it’ll be interesting for you two to play on opposite sides of the net. It will be different, you know?” 

Kenma's foot glided down, his slender toes brushing over Hinata’s. Without realizing, Hinata wiggled his toes and they connected, curling together in the strangest form of intimacy Hinata had ever experienced. 

“Yeah… what about you? Do you still talk to Kuroo-san a lot?” Hinata asked. He really hoped putting the spotlight on Kenma would give him a chance to figure out how he felt about this foot situation. 

Kenma sighed sadly, continuing to rub his toes against Hinata's, almost urgently this time. 

“Not as much as I would like…” 

“What do you mean?” Hinata hoped they hadn't gotten into an argument or something but he stayed quiet for now, letting Kenma open up at his pace. 

“It's just… Kuroo is so busy with his school work. He's always been a big nerd even if he seems like a dumbass sometimes. So he's preoccupied. Meanwhile, Inuoka and Yaku went to different schools on other sides of the country and Lev is in Russia living with his relatives there… So I just don't get to see my friends that often. But that's normal, right? That's just adult life…”

Hinata couldn't say that Kenma was wrong. After all, his friends hadn't even seen each other in two years and they were all still in the Miyagi area. People just drift apart when they get older. 

“I’m sorry, Kenma…” 

Kenma shrugged, shaking his head a bit as he stared at the wall with a blank expression. “It's… whatever, I guess. I have my online friends and my subscribers and my viewers. That's all I need.”

Hinata frowned, looking down at the table despondently. He didn't know how to cheer his friend up, or if he even could. He lived hours away from Tokyo and he was going to be really busy with volleyball soon, too, so it wasn't like he could promise something like, ‘I’ll always be there for you.’

So he did what words couldn't, and moved his other foot to gently stroke Kenma’s with it. He saw the long-haired boy stir a bit but he said nothing. Instead, Kenma smiled bitterly and rubbed back on Hinata. It was quiet, intimate, and the least he could do for Kenma. Not once did Hinata take his eyes off of him.

After a few silent minutes, Kenma finally looked back to Hinata and gave him an actual happy smile. “Thank you,” he whispered, punctuating with a light squeeze of their interlocked toes. 

“I know this is… It might not be fair to promise this, but I will.” Hinata took a deep breath and leaned forward, making sure Kenma had his full attention. “Even though I’m going to be so busy with practice and matches and training, and even though I live four hours away from you-”

“I know, Shouyou. Same here… Anytime, for you.” 

Hinata felt blood rushing to his cheeks and there was no denying Kenma saw it that time. His heart was beating faster and faster every minute that their feet were connected and their eyes were locked. 

Hinata almost flinched when he felt Kenma’s foot disconnect from his own, only to start traveling up his ankle. He shivered at the touch, not daring to move or take his eyes off of Kenma’s. He was getting lost in them. He felt the foot on his ankle move further up his calf. 

It's only then that he realized the way that Kenma was looking at him. He was blinking slower, breathing slower. Hinata felt himself leaning further across the table without trying to, felt their breaths intermingling in the close space between them. It was silent as Kenma’s lips quivered so subtly that Hinata wouldn't notice if he wasn't paying attention to every detail. Every _beautiful_ detail… 

It happened before Hinata could take it back. 

The smack of their lips colliding was deafening in the silent room as it resounded. Hinata felt his lips on Kenma’s. His lips were on Kenma’s, kissing them. He was _kissing Kenma!_

And as soon as he realized that he was kissing Kenma, he pulled away and leaned back across the table to where he was sitting before. 

“I-I’m sorry…” He whispered, his words barely audible. Were words even coming out?

He couldn't tell because Kenma was just sitting there, lips still parted and brows raised in confusion. Or was it shock? Hinata would have done anything to know what Kenma was thinking at that moment. He would even say something ridiculous and out of the blue. And so he did. 

“You know I’ve liked you since high school, right?” He blurted out, suddenly petrified by his word vomit. Kenma looked even more catatonic than before, still not moving a muscle. Hinata imagined the possible consequences of what he just said.

He could see Kenma kicking him out, telling him to leave and ‘how dare you just kiss me like that?!’ He imagined Kenma being absolutely disgusted. Hinata didn't have a chance in hell with Kenma, and he should just be happy with their friendship. He could also see Kenma ripping his beating heart out of his chest and stomping on it until there was nothing left. 

“I wish I would have known, Shouyou.” 

Or Kenma could say something like that.

The words had barely left his lips by the time he leaned across the table and cradled Hinata’s cheeks with his hands, pulling the orange-haired boy closer. Their lips pressed together again, and Hinata closed his eyes. He didn't know he could miss something so much after just having felt it. 

The kiss ended mere seconds later, but Kenma’s hands continued to cup Hinata's cheeks. Hinata felt like he was being boiled alive every time Kenma’s thumb brushed against his tender, sun-kissed skin. Their eyes were locked, and it took a second for Hinata to realize they had just kissed. Again. 

“Wait, you like me, too?” Hinata blurted out, frozen solid by the look Kenma was giving him. His honey eyes were inches from his own. His velvety lips just inches away. 

“Duh,” Kenma said, earning a tiny laugh from Hinata. “Why else would I text you all the time when I could be gaming?”

“I’m such a dummy,” Hinata breathed, reaching his hands up to rest them on Kenma’s wrists. He was so warm.

Kenma delicately rubbed circles on Hinata’s cheeks, slowly licking his lips. “Let's make up for lost time.” 

Hinata didn't waste a second bridging the gap between their lips. His hands traveled down Kenma’s arms to his biceps and he gripped them gently but with purpose. All those years he could have spent doing this… he felt so stupid. Maybe they were both stupid, both so clearly in love for so long, but never admitting it. 

He felt Kenma laugh against his lips, felt his teeth bang into Hinata’s. The first kiss was always so awkward, but it didn't take long for them to get into each other’s rhythms. Hinata wanted to learn each and every millimeter of Kenma's lips, to feel every push and pull as they kissed.

Hinata's hands traveled down Kenma’s arms to his chest and then to his waist. He felt Kenma hum against his lips and he pressed harder into the kiss. The edge of the table was pushing uncomfortably against his stomach but he couldn't have cared less. He was kissing Kenma.

He felt one of Kenma’s hands move from his cheek to the back of his head, pushing them even closer together as their kiss grew in urgency. Kenma’s fingers carded through his hair and he was practically leaning all the way over the kotatsu to kiss him.

It was only when Hinata started to tug off Kenma’s hoodie that the long-haired boy broke the kiss. Their breaths were fast and hard as they panted in the same space, lips just centimeters apart. 

“Let's get out from under the kotatsu,” Kenma breathed, placing his hands on Hinata's strong arms. Hinata just nodded, unable to form a coherent thought right now. He was kissing _Kenma._

Their hands linked together as they crawled out from the warmth of the kotatsu and raced to Kenma’s bedroom. They were hardly in the room when Kenma slammed the door shut and threw off his hoodie, letting it drop chaotically on the floor. The light from Kenma’s computer screens painted the room an artificial blue as Kenma pulled Hinata on top of him on the bed. 

Hinata braced himself up and placed his hands on either side of Kenma who desperately clung to him, hugging him closely as they kissed again. 

The innocence and curiosity of the kiss from before was gone. Hinata hummed and whined as Kenma’s lips devoured his own, forcefully pressing them together with such need, and he couldn't do anything but give Kenma what he wanted. He was more than happy to oblige.

Hinata’s breath hitched when he felt Kenma’s lips part slightly and probe the entrance of his mouth with his tongue. He immediately opened his lips and let Kenma in, feeling the new and exciting sensation. His tongue tasted like tea and apple pie, so sweet on his own tongue as they moved together in the shared space between their mouths. 

Hinata didn't pull away until he felt like he was going to faint, his mouth hanging open like a panting dog. Kenma looked up to him longingly, begging for him to close the distance once again, and Hinata wanted to so badly. His hands moved to the hem of Kenma's shirt, fingers curling around the fabric. 

“Can I–”

“Mhm,” Kenma interrupted with a nod, leaning up to kiss him again.

Hinata tugged upward on the hem of Kenma’s shirt, slowly working it off of him. He only broke the kiss to pull the garment over his head and off of his arms. They sat up straight and worked in tandem to pull it completely off and when they did, Hinata couldn't help but stare in wonder at Kenma’s bare ivory skin, absolutely enchanted by the way his rib cage moved up and down with each racing breath. He had never seen this part of Kenma, the vulnerable, secret parts. Hinata was intoxicated by the way Kenma needily looked at him, as if begging him— no, _commanding_ him to touch him. 

Hinata snapped out of it when Kenma started to pull his shirt off, and he gladly accepted, helping to get it off. Kenma gasped as his hands met Hinata’s bare skin, hovering over his muscular chest. Hinata couldn't resist reaching out and touching Kenma, his hands cupping Kenma’s waist. The warmth of his skin was driving him insane. 

In an instant, Kenma was on top of him, pressing down on his chest with his hands as he kissed him again. Hinata reached around to his back, his hands caressing every inch of his shoulder blades and down his spine to the small of his back. His fingers were explorers, discovering every facet of Kenma’s body like every inch of his skin was a hidden treasure.

Kenma’s arms coiled around Hinata’s back and pulled them together so that they were chest to chest. Hinata could feel the other’s heart beat on his skin as he weaved his hands through Kenma’s long hair, running each silky strand between his fingers. He'd wanted to touch Kenma’s hair for so long, to see if it was really as soft as he thought it was. It was even _softer_ than he thought it would be.

Their kiss grew even hungrier, and Hinata could feel Kenma’s teeth start to scrape gently at his bottom lip. He gasped at the sensation but welcomed it entirely, letting Kenma nibble at the tender skin of his lips. 

While Kenma feasted on his lips, his hands found themselves at the waistband of Hinata’s jeans. Instinctively, Hinata lifted his hips so that Kenma could unzip them and pull them down. Slowly he managed to kick the jeans off of his legs and a new level of ecstasy bloomed as their legs intertwined. 

Hinata firmly grabbed onto Kenma’s hips, earning a moan and a slight nod from him as he pulled down his shorts. Every inch of them was connected now, and they were lost in their shared skin, lost in their kiss. 

Suddenly Kenma pulled away, taking a deep breath before planting his lips on Hinata’s neck. He couldn't contain the moans that escaped him as Kenma grinded their hips together and kissed him there.

“Kenma…” He breathed, holding tightly onto the dark-haired boy’s hips as they rocked back and forth on his own. “Oh my _god_ …”

Waves of pleasure were sent flying through his lower body and it felt like Hinata was being struck by lightning when he felt Kenma’s hand palming at his crotch. Hinata wanted nothing more than this moment to never end, to go even _further,_ but a heavy feeling in the pit of his stomach caused him to suddenly pull away from Kenma. 

He sat up straight and leaned against the headboard of the bed, looking anxiously at Kenma. All the color had been drained from his face, and his eyes were wide with worry. “Wait… can we stop for a second?” He asked, panting quietly. He had to take a moment to come down from the immense high he was riding just seconds before, the high he'd just cut short.

Kenma gave him a confused look and cocked his head to the side, but he nodded and straddled Hinata’s lap, draping his arms around his neck. “What's the matter?”

“Can I tell you a story?” Hinata wished he would have phrased the question better but the words had already left his lips. 

Kenma almost looked mad at him, furling his brows inward. “Right now?” He asked, slightly irritated.

“Please.” Hinata held onto Kenma’s hips, and the other boy nodded. 

“Do you remember when I was talking about Oikawa-san? How he was in Brazil with me?”

Kenma nodded again. “Yes?”

Hinata looked away, his hands starting to uneasily shake against Kenma’s hips. Kenma must have noticed this because he felt Kenma put his hands on his own to steady them. “It's okay, Shouyou.”

Hinata looked back to him and sighed, taking a slow, deep breath. “He and I got really close in Brazil after about a year. Like… really close. He… took my, well, my… you know…”

“He was your first,” Kenma finished the sentence for him. 

“Yeah. And, I really thought that we were going somewhere, you know? I… I thought I really liked him because he was… my first, but… we wanted different things. I wanted to be his boyfriend, and he just wanted to mess around. I realized this after a few weeks and I finally talked to him about it. I told him that I didn't want to do _that_ with him anymore.”

“And what did he say?” Kenma asked, rubbing gentle circles on Hinata's hand with his thumb. 

“Tooru was… Oikawa was surprisingly understanding. He even apologized, saying he shouldn't have taken my first time away from me like that. He didn't want to ruin our friendship, so we stopped doing… that. Things were different after that, but I think we're okay now.”

“That's good…” Kenma said, but Hinata knows he really meant, “So what's your point?”

“My point is: I don't wanna just mess around with you, Kenma. If that's what you want… then I guess we can still be friends, but–”

“Shouyou,” Kenma tried to interrupt. 

“I don't want that with you. I like you so, so much and–” 

Hinata's eyes widened when he felt Kenma’s lips gently press against his. It was innocent and sweet, much less hungry and carnal than it had been just minutes ago. 

“Kenma? Why did you kiss me while I was talking?” Hinata asked with a hint of irritation when Kenma pulled away.

“I like you ‘so, so much’ too, Shouyou,” he whispered, resting his hands on Hinata's shoulders. “To be honest, I don't want to rush things, either. I just got caught up in the kiss and… you got so hot after Brazil.”

“Oh, so I wasn't hot before Brazil?” Hinata scoffed, pretending to be offended. 

Kenma shook his head. “Oh, you were always a cutie. But now you're _hot_.” He pressed his palm to Hinata's toned chest, and the ginger-haired boy laughed. 

“You're hot, too. Your hair’s been driving me crazy since I got here,” Hinata admitted, reaching up to run his fingers through Kenma's two-toned hair. “It's so long. And soft.” 

Kenma climbed off of him and laid down beside him on the bed, nuzzling against him. “Shouyou…” He whined, clinging to Hinata’s waist and resting his head on his chest. 

Hinata draped an arm around Kenma's shoulders and rested his head on Kenma’s, breathing in the scent of his hair. “You're so warm… I need this so much more than… the other thing,” he murmured between yawns.

Kenma reached for a blanket on the bed and with Hinata’s help he covered them both with it. “Stay here tonight,” he pleaded against Hinata’s chest.

“Okay.”

“You're still jet lagged. Get some sleep, Shouyou.”

Hinata's mind was foggy and all he could think of was the warm body curled up next to him. 

“Okay…”

The last thing Hinata felt was Kenma's arms and legs clinging to him like a spider monkey, sharing each centimeter of warmth they could on that chilly winter night. 

If Hinata focused really hard and closed his eyes, he could still imagine the warmth of the beach. He could feel the afternoon sun kissing his skin, enveloping him in its heat. He could imagine the soft, smooth sand squishing between his toes. 

But he didn't need to imagine it anymore. 

Kenma had all the warmth he needed.


End file.
